Obamacare Push the Deficit Higher than Reagan’s and Bush’s Combined

Ronald Reagan had deficits of $200 billion. The Left said that was reckless and irresponsible. George W. Bush averaged $800 billion deficits. The Left said that was reckless and irresponsible. Now Obama’s deficits approach $1,500 billion. And the Left says, “Let’s raise the debt ceiling.”

It’s a reckless and irresponsible game Obama, Pelosi and Reid have been playing. During the worst recession since the Great Depression they have gone on a spending orgy. Hoping to pass as much as possible in as short of time as possible. The goal being simple. Get as many people as possible addicted to this new government spending. Make it political suicide for the opposition to repeal. Thereby giving the Democrats yet more things to frighten voters about should Republicans win elections. That those rascally Republicans will take away those benefits they fought so hard to give them.

But they have increased spending to levels impossible to sustain. Medicaid is bankrupting the states. Medicare and Social Security are bankrupting the nation. Despite this, Obama, Pelosi and Reid passed Obamacare. This on top of stimulus spending that stimulated nothing but unions and Democratic loyalists. They’re selling bonds and printing money to feed this orgy of spending. In the process mortgaging our future. And making the United States credit worthiness on par with a subprime mortgage.

“This is not a game. You know, the debt ceiling … is not something to toy with,” Goolsbee told the ABC News program “This Week.” “If we hit the debt ceiling, that’s … essentially defaulting on our obligations, which is totally unprecedented in American history.”

“The impact on the economy would be catastrophic. I mean, that would be a worse financial economic crisis than anything we saw in 2008,” he said.

Interesting. When we get ourselves in trouble by maxing out our credit cards, what do debt counselors tell us? To solve our problem by getting another credit card so we can keep spending? Or do they tell us to cut all of our credit cards and sell everything we own to pay our bills?

When spending gets you in trouble you stop spending. You don’t keep spending. It’s what we the people do. And it’s what our government should do. Because the nation, the states and even our cities are all having spending and debt problems.

Big Government Spending Destroys Some of our Biggest Cities

New Orleans has lost more than a quarter of its population in the past 10 years as the result of Hurricane Katrina. The rest of the cities that have lost major parts of their population have seen their flagship industries, which include coal, steel, oil, and auto-related manufacturing, fall off or completely collapse.

Targeted Tax Cuts and Incentives Don’t Stimulate

The evidence is all around us. Government spending may get you votes in November, but it is bankrupting the nation, the states and the cities. And you don’t fix that problem with more taxing. And more spending. Even liberal Democrats know this (see Goolsbee: Obama to Make ‘Tough Choices’ on Budget by Mary Lu Carnevale posted 1/2/2011 on The Wall Street Journal).

Mr. Goolsbee, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, said on ABC’s “This Week” that the administration is focusing on spurring investment and improving U.S. exports and innovation to boost economic growth. And he said that steps already taken, such as cutting payroll taxes by two percentage points and giving small businesses new tax incentives, should soon provide some economic fuel.

They know that cutting taxes stimulates the economy. They admit as much by cutting payroll taxes. And by offering tax incentives. But they target everything. It’s never across the board. Because across the board tax cuts don’t offer tit for tat. And what good is a tax cut to a politician if it doesn’t get you something in return?

Repeal Obamacare, Forget about Raising the Debt Ceiling

Cutting taxes will stimulate the economy. It worked for Harding. For Kennedy. For Reagan. And for Bush. Reagan doubled tax receipts with his cuts. But he still had $200 billion deficits. Why? Because the Democratic Congress spent the money faster than it came in. And they reneged on their promised spending cuts. Lesson learned? You have to cut spending.

There’s hope. Thanks to the Republican ascendancy at the 2010 midterm elections. The Republicans have the power of the purse. And a lot of Democrats lost their seats for voting for Obamacare. You add this up, and you can take tough words about repealing Obamacare seriously (see House to vote early on health care repeal by Jake Sherman posted 1/2/2011 on Politico Live).

Incoming House Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) says the new Republican-controlled House will look to repeal Democratic health care overhaul legislation before President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address later this month.

“We have 242 Republicans,” Upton said on “Fox News Sunday.” “There will be a significant number of Democrats, I think, that will join us.”

Upton, whose committee will key in the GOP’s effort to roll back the law, said that he believes the House may be near the two-thirds majority required to override a presidential veto. Short of repeal, Upton said the House will “go after this bill piece by piece.”

Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are political third rails. Too many people are dependent on them for significant reform. But Obamacare is a no brainer. No one is dependent on it now. Repealing that will be pain free. Other than a bruised ego. But Obama can get over that. When he retires in 2012.

You repeal Obamacare and our debt crisis all of a sudden gets a whole lot easier to manage. So let’s cut that credit card. Before we build up a balance that we’ll never be able to pay off.